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OBi110, POTS, and GV

Started by UncleOp, October 13, 2014, 11:49:55 AM

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UncleOp

I initially asked the following of the OBi support folk - I didn't see anything in the FAQ there - and they suggested posting in the forums. Please feel free to point me at an existing HowTo; I took a very quick skim and nothing leapt out at me.

I chose the OBi110 because I have an existing POTS line and phone number. I also have an existing GoogleVoice account. I do NOT have an existing VoIP account or provider other than GoogleVoice.

Today I can make free US calls by having GoogleVoice call me; I typically initiate these calls from a standard desktop computer in a browser window open to GoogleVoice. If someone calls my GoogleVoice directly, it does ring through the OBi110 as I expect and like. GV also rings my mobile phone. (but see below.)

I believe that at this time, all calls I directly dial from a traditional phone attached to the OBi110's Phone jack will go out through my traditional POTS provider line. I happen to have a Panasonic KX-TG1061 (with three remote handsets) on the Phone port of the OB1110.

The Issue: I would like to be able to direct-dial calls from the handset that is attached to the OBi110. When a call is "local" to me, I would like to use the POTS line. When it is not local, I would like the call to route through GoogleVoice, without having to wait for a call back. I don't want to have to initiate such calls via my computer. Is this possible since I don't have a formal VoIP provider? If so, it is not clear to me from OBi's support documentation.

You might ask, "Why don't you just use your mobile phone for these calls that would be toll calls?" I live in an area with poor-to-no reliable cell service. Cell works great on the road (after driving toward civilization for 10-20 minutes), but not at home. I installed OBiON on my Nexus 5, but I haven't figured out how/if I can use the cell phone in WiFi-calling mode or not; some other reports on the web suggest that the Nexus phones don't have an appropriate kernel option enabled to support WiFi calling. So this multipart question also includes, "How do I get my OBiON-enabled smartphone to connect via WiFi to make calls through my OBi110 as if it were a handset on my Panasonic POTS phone?"

Thanks for any help or comments.

azrobert

#1
What phone numbers to you want to route to POTS?
7 digit?
10 digit?
Specific area codes (10 or 11 digits)?
Tollfree numbers?
911?

Do you use OBiTalk to configure your OBi?
Do you know how to use OBi Expert?

UncleOp

Quote from: azrobert on October 13, 2014, 12:04:21 PM
What phone numbers to you want to route to POTS?
7 digit?
10 digit?
Specific area codes (10 or 11 digits)?
Tollfree numbers?
911?

All good questions. I would like to route all toll calls through GV, and all non-toll calls (and 911) through POTS.

I could provide a list of non-toll exchanges, and then assume/hope that all other 7, 10, and 11-digit  calls go through GV.

I would be OK with having to remember to add some prefix (e.g., "**9") to a number I want to go through GV instead of POTS. Of course, it would be "easier" for me when dialing to have it work automatically.

azrobert

Use OBi Expert to make the following changes:

Service Providers -> ITSP Profile A General -> DigitMap:
(1xxxxxxxxxx|[2-9]xxxxxxxxx|011xx.)

Physical Interfaces -> Phone Port -> DigitMap
Add AFTER the beginning parenthesis: (Mli)|
It will look like this:
((Mli)|.....the current settings....)

Physical Interfaces -> Phone Port -> OutboundCallRoute
Add to the beginning: {(Mli):li},

Physical Interfaces -> Phone Port -> Primary Line: SP1 Service

Physical Interfaces -> Line Port -> DigitMap
(xxxxxxx|(602|623)xxxxxxx|18(00|88|77|66|55|44)xxxxxxx)

You're not being very specific.
I live in the Phoenix area.
We have 3 area codes (480,602,623).
I dial 10 digits for 602 and 623.
I only have to dial 7 digits if I call within my area code (480).

The above config (911 is handled separately) will do this:
911, 7 digit, 10 digit for area codes 602/623 and tollfree numbers routed out Line.
Other 10 digit numbers, 11 digits and international numbers will be routed out SP1.


UncleOp

#4
Quote from: azrobert on October 13, 2014, 12:43:38 PM
:
You're not being very specific.
Sorry, I'm trying to understand the general way I would do this, so if I move to a different state, I might not have to ask the question again. I'm a software engineer by trade, and like to at least credibly pretend I understand what I'm doing.

Quote
:
Other 10 digit numbers, 11 digits and international numbers will be routed out SP1.

I live in the great state of Maine. We have one area code - 207 - for the entire state. I happen to have my POTS via a non-Baby-Bell carrier; they are also my ISP. So inter- vs. intra-lata calling is sometimes a little odd to define. But I do have a list of exchanges in my area code that would be "free" to call. Edit: I should also mention that, AFAIK, all calls in ME can be made with just seven digits, but it is possible that has changed and I missed the memo. I'll double check to confirm that he regexp's you suggest make sense.

Thanks for the initial tip; I'll poke into it and see how it works for me. Are call choices logged by syslog? It would be nice to have a "what I thought I did" vs. "what I did" list available.

azrobert

Sorry, my mistake. You wrote "exchanges" and my brain read "area codes".

Service Providers -> ITSP Profile A General -> DigitMap:
(1xxxxxxxxxx|[2-9]xxxxxxxxx|011xx.)

Physical Interfaces -> Phone Port -> DigitMap
Add AFTER the beginning parenthesis: (Mli)|
It will look like this:
((Mli)|.....the current settings....)

Physical Interfaces -> Phone Port -> OutboundCallRoute
Add to the beginning: {(Mli):li},

Physical Interfaces -> Phone Port -> Primary Line: SP1 Service

Physical Interfaces -> Line Port -> DigitMap
(xxxxxxx|207(234|456|789)xxxx|18(00|88|77|66|55|44)xxxxxxx)

The above config (911 is handled separately) will do this:
911, 7 digit, 10 digit for exchanges 234/456/789 within area code 207 and tollfree numbers routed out Line.

Other 10 digit numbers, 11 digits and international numbers will be routed out SP1.


UncleOp

Quote from: azrobert on October 13, 2014, 01:04:22 PM
Sorry, my mistake. You wrote "exchanges" and my brain read "area codes".
:

I understand that... :-)

Quote
:
The above config (911 is handled separately) will do this:
911, 7 digit, 10 digit for exchanges 234/456/789 within area code 207 and tollfree numbers routed out Line.

Other 10 digit numbers, 11 digits and international numbers will be routed out SP1.

Nice. Will GV simply get and place the call? Or will it still call me back? (yeah, I could try it, but I figured I'd ask.)

azrobert

The call will go out directly.


Quote"How do I get my OBiON-enabled smartphone to connect via WiFi to make calls through my OBi110?"

In the Nexus5 did you setup a WiFi connection to your router?

In OBi Expert

Voice Services -> OBiTalk Service -> InboundCallRoute: ph

The above is the default setting. The OBi setup process might have altered this setting.
Dial any number on the OBiON app.
The OBi110 phone port should ring.
This is to test if the OBiON app is communicating with the OBi110.
The next step will be to setup inbound and outbound calls.

Do you know how to use OBi Expert?

UncleOp

#8
Quote from: azrobert on October 13, 2014, 01:25:09 PM
The call will go out directly.
Cool beans.

Quote
Quote"How do I get my OBiON-enabled smartphone to connect via WiFi to make calls through my OBi110?"

In the Nexus5 did you setup a WiFi connection to your router?
I know my Nexus can and does use WiFi for browser, etc. I don't recollect doing any voice-call-related changes for it, however.

Quote
In OBi Expert

Voice Services -> OBiTalk Service -> InboundCallRoute: ph

The above is the default setting. The OBi setup process might have altered this setting.
Dial any number on the OBiON app.
The OBi110 phone port should ring.
This is to test if the OBiON app is communicating with the OBi110.
The next step will be to setup inbound and outbound calls.

Do you know how to use OBi Expert?
I have used OBi Expert to enable syslog, and I do get some periodic messages from the device on my daemon. I will likely take the full plunge this weekend when I have some hours free to hack and debug. I'll make sure I save a backup of my current config, of course.

Thanks for your help!

azrobert

#9
I already had these instructions for OBi Expert:

From the OBiTalk dashboard click Edit Profile on the left column.
At the bottom of the page check "Enable Obi Expert..."
Click Submit Query.
Now you can go directly to OBi Expert from the dashboard.

Click Obi Dashboard.
On the right of your OBi110 is an icon with a red E.
Click on it to enter OBi Expert.

To navigate click on the titles with the +
Then click on a sub-title
An example click on Service Providers
Then click ITSP Profile A General
There 2 boxes to the right of each setting
To change a setting uncheck the box under ObiTalk Setting
Then uncheck the box under Device Default
Now change the setting
After you have made all the necessary changes for that page, click Submit at the bottom of the page.
OBiTalk will download the configuration changes to the OBi110 and reboot it.
Wait until this process is complete before continuing to the next page.

UncleOp

Quote from: UncleOp on October 13, 2014, 01:30:06 PM
... I will likely take the full plunge this weekend when I have some hours free to hack and debug. I'll make sure I save a backup of my current config, of course.

Based on limited testing, my config to route local numbers locally and all others via GV seems to work. The only downside now is that call quality with GV is highly variable.

In other, loosely related, news, I had to send my original OBi110 back under RMA since either the POTS Line or Phone hardware failed. Included a smell reminiscent of Magic Smoke. I then had to reprovision/reconfigure the new unit. This shows one of the fun areas of the Internet Of Things - how do you manage a bunch of net-enabled devices in a sane yet simple way? No clear answer here.

Thanks again for the help - sorry it took so long to respond!

SteveInWA

UncleOp:

With regard to "highly variable" call quality, that would most likely be caused by your Great State of Maine Freezing-ass cold and wet internet connection.  VoIP call quality is very sensitive to ISP-related connection quality issues, that you may not notice when performing routine web browsing or streaming, which uses buffering.

If you're using a cable TV company for internet service, you might have degraded signal quality caused by old, damaged or corroded coax cabling and hardware, or a bad cable modem, or any other combination of equipment and wiring between your provider and your house.  The same goes for DSL over copper wire pairs.

You can run a VoIP simulation test here:  http://myspeed.visualware.com/index.php

Try several different far-end destinations, and use the G.711 CODEC VoIP test.  A score less than 4.0 is problematic, and you'd need to complain to your ISP.

With regard to calling from your Nexus 5, you no longer need to use OBiON.  If you don't already have Google Hangouts installed (I believe it's the default messaging program on the Nexus 5), then get it from the Google Play Store.  Hangouts can make VoIP telephone calls over your phone's WiFi connection, using your GV phone number as caller ID for outbound calls, and receiving inbound calls made to your GV number.

Hangouts works entirely independent of your OBi device or any Google Chat settings.  As long as you're signed into Hangouts, and you've configured it to ring on inbound calls, you can use it for all your GV calling needs.


UncleOp

#12
Quote from: SteveInWA on December 16, 2014, 08:33:16 AM
UncleOp:

With regard to "highly variable" call quality, that would most likely be caused by your Great State of Maine Freezing-ass cold and wet internet connection.  VoIP call quality is very sensitive to ISP-related connection quality issues, that you may not notice when performing routine web browsing or streaming, which uses buffering.
  :
You can run a VoIP simulation test here:  http://myspeed.visualware.com/index.php

Try several different far-end destinations, and use the G.711 CODEC VoIP test.  A score less than 4.0 is problematic, and you'd need to complain to your ISP.
heh. You sound like I did when a couple of decades ago I would advise banks on their TELEX and SWIFT lines. Boston in the Spring is probably as bad as Maine anytime; water goes where it will. Freeze/thaw cycles test wires to their limits.

My MOS with the Visualware link was 4.1, no packet loss, and moderate jitter (1.1ms upstream, 3.7ms downstream). This is on a "fast" DSL through my Telco/ISP. In a couple of months I'll be upgrading to a fiber connection, and hopefully lower latency and faster throughput. Just one test; I'll run more some day if I think it's ISP-related.

My experience with GV is only about 5 years, from the days shortly  before Google bought Gizmo5 (which was very useful when I was in China with my family). My suspicion - admittedly a WABEG - is that sometimes GV's call routing takes the least-cost-as-in-$s route vs. the least-cost-as-in-hops. I can't blame them; it remains hard to argue with "free". Thus some calls are crystal clear, while others on the same day may feature crackle/pop-like stutter.

Quote
With regard to calling from your Nexus 5, you no longer need to use OBiON.  If you don't already have Google Hangouts installed (I believe it's the default messaging program on the Nexus 5), then get it from the Google Play Store.  Hangouts can make VoIP telephone calls over your phone's WiFi connection, using your GV phone number as caller ID for outbound calls, and receiving inbound calls made to your GV number.

Hangouts works entirely independent of your OBi device or any Google Chat settings.  As long as you're signed into Hangouts, and you've configured it to ring on inbound calls, you can use it for all your GV calling needs.
Thanks for the pointer! Looks like this can still be tedious to set up correctly, but at least now it's doable.


SteveInWA

Quote from: UncleOp on December 17, 2014, 07:01:25 AM
Thanks for the pointer! Looks like this can still be tedious to set up correctly, but at least now it's doable.

There is very little setup needed.  I assume you already have the Android Hangouts app installed.  Just sign in, and select the option to receive calls.  That's it.